Master and Maid
by Piercing Thorn
Summary: Master: the owner of a slave or employer of servants to work in their household. Maid: a female servant generally hired to occupy the master. Society rules that a Master may never marry a Maid. Clearly, society has never met Kazuya Shibuya. Full summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

hi guys! for those of you who read my story Let the Games Begin i'm working on chapter ten whenever i have free time, which isn't often since it's getting closer to exam time once again. but this idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until i at least wrote chapter 1. if i get enough calls for this i'll post chapter 2 soon.

disclaimer: seriously guys, i don't own ghost hunt

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Master: the owner of a slave or employer of servants to work in their household. Maid: a female servant generally hired to occupy the master. Society rules that a Master may never marry a Maid. Clearly, society has never met Kazuya Shibuya. He's loved his personal maid since she kicked him in the shin when they were barely adolescents, though he'll never admit it out loud. But when he finds out he's engaged to a woman who only wants him as arm candy, he'll do whatever it takes to get rid of her. However, will he do it if it endangers his beloved maid? a short story probably only about five or so chapter long in entirety...

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It was dawn, in more precise terms it was five in the morning but she never knew what time it was because she didn't have a clock in her room. All she knew was that when the sun rose, she woke up and got ready for work. When the first rays of light tickled her eyelids they opened to reveal warm, milk-chocolate colored eyes. Eyes that were larger than people of the same ethnicity as her but she didn't mind. People always said she looked cute with them, said they gave her childlike innocence. The eyes stared at the horizontal planks of wood that were stacked on top of each other, going until they met at a point high above her head. Then they glanced out at the sun that shone through the large glass window to the right of her bed.

Stretching, the girl got up and went into the room adjoining to hers. It was a medium sized bathroom with a claw-foot bathtub as well as the other objects you would find in a room like it. She quickly started the warm water and as soon as it was filled, she waded in and quickly cleaned herself up before hopping out and toweling herself dry as the tub drained. Once done, she ran a brush through her short, cinnamon locks before placing a frilly headband in that separated two sections of hair to frame her face while pushing the rest of them back.

Walking out she went to the small armoire near the afore mentioned window that dominated the right wall of her room and pulled out the necessary clothes for today. Putting on her standard white undergarments she then proceeded to layer with a white lacy camisole over her bra, as well as puffy and frilly bloomers over her underwear. Next came a collared white button-down blouse with puffed sleeves that has a single layer of frill around the edge of the sleeves. Then a black scoop-neck button-down dress with medium sized straps that cut her shoulder into three sections including them, it also had a skirt that went to the middle of her thighs. A frilly white waist apron that tied in the back and had pockets for her to store small items she might need later in the day. And finally, her black over the knee socks that left a stripe of skin before the hem of the skirt covered the rest and her brown leather shoes finished her dressing schedule. The girl of fifteen looked out the window, either the sun was moving faster than normal or she had wasted precious time. Now she hurried to exit her room as soundlessly as possible and make her first stop of the day.

Luckily the heavy wooden door had been recently oiled and was easy to shut, and the lushly carpeted hallway silenced her footsteps as they quickly ran the expanse of the extensive hallway. She had learned very early in her job that punctuality was a key requirement in keeping her position, not that it was a position she had any particular affection for but the money was good and she needed money. With confident turns the girl found herself in the massive kitchen the manor possessed. Now you may be wondering why this girl needed money if she lived in a manor? The answer was simple, she was a maid. And not just any maid, she was the personal maid to the young master of the house, a position that was highly coveted by the other maids of the house, though the maid herself didn't see why.

Getting back to her early morning task; preparing the young master's morning tea. Hurriedly she bustled around trying to make as little noise as possible. When they water was boiled properly, the maid took her pot off the burner and set it to the side as she prepared her master's preferred choice of tea; earl grey. Quickly she took out her master's favorite cup and his favorite tray and began to set it with the things she needed to bring to him. Once that was done she hurried off towards her master's wing, the maid had once complained that it was just her luck her master demanded tea in his chambers every morning knowing full well the kitchen was on the other side of the grounds.

Moving quickly but not quick enough to spill the tea the maid set off on the ten minute journey to her master. Normally it would take her five minutes going at this speed but that was usually when she was not carrying a silver tray laden with her master's precious china and even more precious tea. Upon reaching the wing the maid let herself in to the biggest room there; the library of course. Waking in her shoes echoed on the polished hardwood floor. The maid finally stopped at a large cherry wood desk and set the tray down gently. A high backed leather chair swiveled to reveal a handsome man no older than the maid herself.

His ebony locks hung in his face and contrasted immensely with his polished ivory skin. He dressed in all black and he looked up from some papers he'd been looking over to showcase his sapphire eyes. Those eyes were a deep blue, and could have made any girl's heart melt with love had they not been cold as stone left out at wintertime. However, they managed to make plenty of girls, old and young alike, melt into a puddle of lust and desire. As for the young man himself; he, of course, had no interest for those sorts of things. He viewed them to be a waste of precious time and never dealt with the opposite sex of his own accord, save for his mother and his maid.

"You're late Mai." He began in his husky, yet monotonous voice. "I thought we'd been over this countless times by now but I suppose I'll have to remind you again. Punctuality is a requirement of your job. If you fail to meet the requirements your job possesses, you will have to be let go." He said this countless times but never actually followed through on his threat. Mai was grateful for that for the man followed through with any other punishment he threatened were she not to follow an order he'd given.

"I'm sorry." Mai apologized. "It seems my morning bath took a little longer than usual. And it isn't exactly easy to _rush_ here from the other side of the grounds with a five pound tea set weighing you down. But I guess you wouldn't know that since it's the only thing you _don't_ do for yourself." It was the truth. Mai often wondered why her master even needed a personal maid when he preferred to do things himself.

Mai often complained about her job to the other maids but that was to try and make herself seem normal. In actuality, Mai only had three jobs to do for the master; bring him his tea in the morning, noon and night, make his bed every morning, and to simply follow him around all day to assist with menial tasks. Anything he didn't do himself often went to Lin before her. Lin Kojou was the boy's personal body guard, but if you asked Mai he was more of a butler to the teen than anything else.

The death clad teen hadn't yet replied, which Mai took as her cue to start her second chore for the day. She walked behind the desk -not noticing her master following her through his peripheral vision- to a bookshelf located on the back wall. Once there she went to the right end of the structure and located a small bust of Shakespeare on the middle shelf. She grasped the head and turned it, so the head faced left instead of straight like it was supposed to and pushed. The bookcase swung in to reveal a large master bedroom decorated with dark colors. Mai made her way to the large four poster canopy bed and started straightening the black comforter and sheets that had been left in disarray.

When that was done, Mai went and opened the curtains so the room would warm up before walking out the bookcase door and pushing it shut, the head of the bust clicking back into place as she did so. Walking back over to her master Mai quickly poured and prepared his tea, blowing off the steam and setting it before him. He took the cup in hand and drained it quickly. Setting it back on its saucer the boy glanced at the maid.

"How is it that your tea is the only thing you get right consistently?" He asked the girl before him.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about _master_." She replied sweetly. "Now, is there anything else I may do for you today?"

The boy smirked; he knew she was annoyed and not just because he could read her emotions like an open book. Mai always had a tendency to remember her place only when she was trying to be spiteful and not get fired from her job. Any other time she talked to him she never used the honorfic 'master'

"Why are you upset with me _now_ Mai?" the boy asked in response.

"I'm not mad at you." The maid replied.

"Yes you are." The boy insisted. "You only call me master when you're mad at me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The maid dismissed the accusation and poured the man another cup of tea.

"Very well." The boy conceded, knowing Mai would never yield to that one argument, though she yielded to every other one they had. "Now, when you go get my afternoon tea, tell Ms. Matsuzaki to prepare the files for medicinal expenses this month." Like Mai, he never called anyone else by their first name, only Mai.

"Sure thing Naru." The maid replied brightly as she made her way to one of the sofas in the library and sat down staring out the window. Naru felt a small smile ghost across his lips, her moods changed so often it was amusing. Especially when he teased her and she put on that ridiculously cute pout. Looking back down at the files he realized he needed a specific book to finish the report with the files.

"Mai, get me the book on the family budget records." Naru ordered. He saw her blink and her eyes widen.

"Can't Lin do it?" she asked quickly.

"It's his day off, and besides; you're more than capable of doing something as simple as getting me a book." He replied watching the worry lines in her forehead come out.

"I'm just afraid I'll make a mess of things like usual." She made the excuse quickly, almost as if she was desperate not to do it.

"Mai, I don't pay you to disobey me. I pay you to follow my orders. Now get me the book." Naru was starting to get slightly annoyed. Normally Mai would just do what he asked without trying to get out of it, but she seemed determined to get out of this one. He didn't understand why she didn't want to do something so simple when she did harder tasks without so much as batting an eye. Unless…

Naru shook his head, it couldn't be that. There was no way she'd have survived if she didn't.

"Um, Naru?" Mai asked. "What color is the book?"

"It will have the title 'family records' embossed in gold on the cover." Naru replied. "There's no need to know what color the book is."

"But knowing what the title is doesn't help me." Mai groaned. "I need to know what the color is."

"Why do you need to know the color so badly?" Naru asked calmly.

"Because." Mai paused before looking down at her shoes. "I can't read."

"What?" to say Naru was shocked was an understatement. He honestly couldn't believe that his maid didn't know how to read.

"You heard me." Mai replied. "I can't read."

"How are you not able to read?" Naru asked her. "Even the poorest of people know how to read."

"I'm below the poorest class." Mai answered. "And it appears you've forgotten the day we met."

In truth he did not forget that day, he just didn't like to remember it. It was five years ago when they had first encountered one another. It had been Mai's tenth birthday, and he was close to turning twelve. One day his mother decided to take him into town with her. He had been looking through the window of the carriage they were riding in and he saw a tea shop right next to a bakery. While his mother got the necessary things for the house he wandered to the tea shop to look at the different brands of the leaves. He looked over at the bakery to see a young child looking hungrily through its window. The head baker came out to shoo the child for scaring away customers. The child pouted at him and batted her eyelashes over her large milk-chocolate eyes. The dirt smudged on her face and her rags made her easy to pity. The baker's heart melted, and her went inside for a few moments before coming back out with a loaf of bread that was almost as large as she was. The girl turned to him and held out a piece she'd broken off. He looked down at the bread, and then looked at her like she was an idiot. She shrugged and crammed the bread in her face, eating as though she hadn't in months.

"You're going to get fat if you eat the whole thing at once like that." He remembered telling the girl.

"Yeah, and you'll get skinny if you don't eat something soon." She shot back.

"I have plenty of food back at home I don't need to steal like you do." He replied haughtily.

She then looked at him with a pouty glare. It held for a moment or two before she did the unexpected. She kicked him in the shin and watched as he fell over, not prepared for the blow she'd delivered.

"I don't steal!" she yelled down at him. "When someone gives you something out of the kindness of their heart it's not stealing! And you, you should be grateful you have a warm house and food to go home to! I have nothing! Nothing! But I don't complain about it and you have the _nerve_ to tell me I'll get fat for eating like I haven't in months! I haven't eaten well in months! Compared to what I normally have this is a feast!" She was red in the face by the time she was done.

Kazuya, as he had been known before she met him, was shocked. No one had ever had the gall to speak to him like that before. He was the only son of the Davis's; a prominent family here in japan. He himself was actually Kazuya Shibuya, adopted son of the master Martin Davis and his otherwise barren wife Luella. She had found him on the doorstep of the manor one Christmas morning and had taken it as a miracle from god. His name was on a tag attached to the bundle of blankets he'd been wrapped in. Luella was so happy she spoiled the child rotten. He was smart; thanks to his love of books and when he was five years old he'd requested his mother to move his room to the secret chamber behind the library bookcase. His mother complied without hesitation.

But this, this was something he'd never experienced before, someone was actually putting him in his place. And it was a girl younger than him no less. The girl quickly stuffed her half-eaten loaf in her threadbare coat and took off. Kazuya got to his feet and ran after her. He honestly didn't know why, but being put in his place by a little girl struck a nerve with him, and he refused to let her go after something like that. Luella had seen her precious son tear through the streets going after something, and being the concerned woman she was, followed after him.

Kazuya watched as the girl wove through passersby with ease while he had trouble since he was used to people either making way for him as he passed or empty hallways. There was one instance where she disappeared and he had to stop running because he was out of breath. This was also when Luella caught up with him.

"Honestly Oliver, what were you thinking? Running all the way across town like that." She panted. It was only times like these, when he worried her, that she used the other name she'd given when she'd taken him in as her own; Oliver Davis.

Oliver, however, wasn't paying attention. He was too busy scanning the streets for the little chocolate haired girl that had injured his pride. It was only then he realized he _had_ run clear across town and was now in the ghettos; where everyone without a penny to their name lived. Over to his left there was a flash of brown and he instantly turned to it. He saw the girl enter her 'house'; which could better be described as a shack in his opinion. Briskly he started for the shack, his mother trailing behind.

"Oliver? What are you doing?" Luella asked rather loudly. He put up a hand as a signal for his mother to be quiet and she instantly complied.

The door to the shack was merely a blanket stapled to the top of the doorframe. Pulling it to the side he saw the little girl kneeling in the center of the single room it possessed; her back to him and his mother. They watched as the girl pulled something from her coat, Oliver presumed it was the loaf of bread, and pulled something in front of her.

"Happy birthday Mai." Mother and son heard her say to herself. "Make a wish and blow out the candle." She got up and found a box of matches.

Taking out two, she stuck one in the loaf and struck the side of the box with the other. With the lit one, she set the one in the bread aflame to create a makeshift candle. The girl stared into the flame for a moment, and took a deep breath. Oliver assumed she closed her eyes.

"I wish I could find somewhere I belong." She whispered loudly enough for the other occupants of the room to hear, but softly enough so it could not be heard outside. There was a slight pause, and then the candle was blown out in a single breath.

With the wishing part of the solitary celebration over the girl pulled the match out of the bread and began munching on it ravenously. Oliver slowly and softly made his way to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned with wide eyes that only grew when she recognized the face. Oliver shot his mother a glance.

Luella smiled. "My dear, you said you wanted a place where you belonged right?" She saw the girl nod. "What's your name?"

"Mai." The girl replied. "Mai Taniyama."

Luella smiled once more. "Well Mai. Let's see if we can't make that wish come true."

And that was how Mai had come to live in the Davis manor, as Oliver's personal maid. Of course in the beginning she had been told to call the young master with the proper title, but his attitude and demeanor quickly got to Mai and she had then and there dubbed him Naru. The young master couldn't find it in him to object to the name, and the adults had all had a good laugh about it. In the days following Mai had been introduced to the staff she would be working with the most. John Brown; the gardener and catholic priest for the family, Takigawa Hoshou or Monk as he liked to be called; the head chef and chauffer, Lin; Naru's personal bodyguard/butler, Madoka; master Davis' head secretary and family friend, and Ayako Matsuzaki; the personal doctor for all the staff and residents of the manor.

They all grew quite close to her, and she considered them to be her second family, though she had never really known her first. All she knew was that she had two parents, a mother and a father, thanks to an old picture she had been found in the poorer parts of town with. Now as the young master's personal maid, Mai had been told that she would have her own room rather than be forced to sleep in the servant's quarters with the numerous other maids the house possessed. Hence the room she had woken up in every day for the past five years.

"Naru?" Mai questioned, effectively breaking him out of his reverie. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Mai." He replied. "It's just surprising to just now find out you don't know how to read. I only assumed so in the first place because you knew how to make the earl grey tea I have without spending hours sorting through the numerous canisters of tea the kitchens possess."

"About that." She began. "Do you remember that tea shop you had been staring at when we first met?"

"Of course I do, but how did you know I was looking at the tea shop?"

"I spared you a glance when you weren't looking." Mai explained. "Well the owner of the tea shop often tried to keep me out of a life of crime by having me help him in his shop. He knew I didn't know how to read and he wasn't the best teacher of the 'libral arts' he used to call them. So every day for hours on end he'd have me smell a canister 'til I couldn't smell anything other than the tea leaves of it. When I couldn't, he'd tell me what the name of the tea was and have me smell it again so it stuck in my mind. For about five years I did that every day. And now I have the smells of over one hundred different teas stored in my brain." She said proudly. "But I really do wish I could read. There's this little thing written that I really want to know what is says."

"Bring the writing to me." Naru replied. "I'll tell you what it says."

"No!" Mai protested. "It's just. I always get this feeling that the words are meant for just me. But could you teach me how to read?" she asked, eyes pleading.

Naru sighed, how could he say no to that expression? Besides, it would help him immensely if she could read for herself it would certainly cut his work in half provided she understood it. Mai was dense, of that much he was sure, but she would try her best to help and for some reason it always ended up cutting someone's workload in half even if she didn't know exactly what she was doing. At any rate, if she could add and subtract then it would make work less taxing for him.

He sighed again. "Alright Mai. We'll begin after lunch."

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so yeah, tell me what you guys think. Review!


	2. Chapter 2

hi everybody! sorry for the wait for my readers of both this story and let the games begin, it's been kinda hectic these last few weeks. good news; my finals are over and i passed every one. bad news; i have a summer job that keeps me away from my computer until about four in the afternoon. but in other news i was happy with such positive feedback from people on this story, it made me really happy! but i have some bad news; Gene has agreed to help me write this story and therefore will not be present in it, sorry to those of you who were hoping for him to make an appearance... okay i think i've rambled enough...

disclaimer; nope i don't and most likely never will own ghost hunt

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To say Mai was excited; would be an understatement. To say she was happy; might be a stretch. Clearly Naru was going to make her work in exchange for her reading lessons. All morning Mai had been opening all the curtains in both the master's bedroom and the library only to be told he didn't like so much light and she had to close them all again. When that was completed he said it was too dark in the library and he couldn't read his files; he forced Mai to open the ones in the library up until they were five inches apart. By the time that was finished Mai was just about ready to rip his head off. Naru must have sensed this because he sent her to get his lunch and afternoon tea.

"Oh, he does it on purpose I just know it!" she groaned from inside the kitchen.

"Who is _he_ and what does he do on purpose?" a voice asked.

Mai stiffened and turned around. Standing behind her was Luella Davis; mistress of the house and Naru's mother. Mai also like to think of Luella as her surrogate mother but she couldn't ever say that aloud, society never would have accepted it.

"No one of any importance ma'am." Mai answered looking down at the silver tea tray.

"Oh come now, you can tell me anything. You know that Mai." Luella said to try and get the girl to talk.

"No ma'am, I can't." Mai replied.

"Why not?" Luella demanded.

"Society doesn't allow it." Was Mai's response.

"Society?" Luella laughed. "My dear, society doesn't allow for you to be anywhere near this mansion. Yet here you are; the personal maid to the young master of the household. Society doesn't dictate the wealthy, and it certainly doesn't dictate feelings."

"If you say so ma'am." Mai replied dubiously.

"By the way Mai, how do you like the alterations I had made?"

By this point, Naru was waiting almost impatiently for Mai to return with his tea and his lunch. He was getting so irritated he was losing his cool demeanor; not good for his reputation. When Mai came through the wide double doors he let out a small sigh of relief.

"What took you so long?" he asked. "You took less time to bring me my morning tea, and even then you were late."

"I'm sorry Naru." Mai said apologetically. "Mistress Davis held me up in the kitchen with idle chitchat. I would have been there still had Master Davis not beckoned her presence in his office."

"You were held up by my mother?" Naru asked quizzically. "I honestly can't say I'm surprised, but what was she holding you up about?"

"She was asking about the alterations that had been made." Of course Mai would only answer vaguely when she was embarrassed."

"Hmm, what alterations?" Naru was looking her over from behind the safety of his mahogany wood desk.

"Certain alterations that had been made to my uniforms." Mai was slow to reply.

"Ah. I did notice your skirts had been getting shorter lately. At first I thought it was a growth spurt but this makes much more sense.

Mai blushed and suddenly found her shoes to be more interesting than the boy before her. Naru closed his eyes and allowed a small smile to pass over his face momentarily.

"Wait a minute, what were you doing looking at my skirts?" she practically screamed.

"I'm not the only one who noticed it Mai. In fact, Lin was the one who first noticed, he informed me of it afterward. I ignored it simply because I thought you were going through growth spurts but since it was mother's doing I suppose I'll have to have new ones ordered."

"Oh no!" Mai protested. "You don't have to do that!"

"And why not?" Naru replied. "Could it be that you actually _like_ wearing skirts of that length?"

"It's not that," Mai tried to explain. "It's just that; I already feel like I'm already in debt to you and your family for taking me in and giving me a job that pays like this one. Please don't make me feel like I need to repay you any more than I already do."

Naru sighed. "Very well. Now, let's begin your reading lesson."

Mai walked out of the library with a huge smile and the remnants of a pink blush on her face. When they'd first begun Naru had told her that learning to read would be very difficult, especially since her mind had started to harden and wasn't as absorbent as a five year old's mind was. However, Mai simply took to learning the words written on the paper. To start with, Naru had written all 26 letters on a piece of paper. It was difficult at first; but Naru had shown her a way to help learn the letters. He had taken her hand in his own, extended her index finger, and -with his own on top of hers- he used her hand to trace the letter 'a' while saying it aloud. They had done that with all the letters of the alphabet three or four times before he pulled his hand away. Mai had been able to do it on her own, she was so happy.

'_Why on earth did he do that?'_ she wondered exiting the library. _'Ah well. Best. Day. Ever!'_ Mai thought happily as she went to get ready for supper.

Naru on the other hand, was still looking at the list of letters in shock. Something was definitely amiss. Mai shouldn't have been able to get the letters as quickly as she did. Only someone who knew how to read beforehand would have been able to do it like she did. That made Naru wonder, he really didn't know much about Mai; other than that day he had found her in the slums of the town. And at the time he was still young so one wouldn't blame him for not inquiring into her family and her background. Now he wondered if he should.

At the dinner table Mai stood behind Naru as he ate in silence with his parents. In fact, the only sounds coming from the massive dining hall were the sounds of eating themselves, everything else was still.

"So Noll," Luella began. "How was your day today?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary mother," Naru replied. "Though it would have been more productive if I had had more help during the hours I worked. Next time could you please refrain from detaining my maid with matters that can be dealt with on her time off?" one of the few times Naru remembered his manners was around his mother; that woman was severely strict about them and could be a scary person if she had to deal with a member of their social circle who was ignorant of when and how to use their manners.

Naru shuddered at the memory of one of the 'dates' his mother had coerced him into going on. Needless to say the woman was truly a spoiled brat, and more or less a gold digging whore. Unfortunately for her, Luella caught her ordering around one of the servants as if she owned the place; the 'disaster date' as Naru had then on dubbed it had promptly been escorted out of the house, never to return again. That was one of the kicking points of realization for Naru. He had always known he was good looking and knew that any woman who laid eyes on him wanted him for themselves almost instantly. However, though Naru was no good at showing emotions he was keenly adept at _reading_ them, especially off of hormonal women. Lust and the need to tie him down to them by tempting him and having him father a child of theirs was instantly recognizable and always had Naru running for the hills. Hence, he preferred to stay locked away in his library; away from all the women he didn't want nor need except for his mother and Mai.

Ah Mai. She was the one exception to the rule afore mentioned. Where in most cases Naru would only have to simply _look_ at a woman to see the lust and greed rise up within her, Mai was an entirely different story. He supposed he could chalk it up to her knowing him as he began to become more beautiful than he already was, -if that was even possible- and was therefore immune to his corporal charms after having been exposed to his rather narcissistic personality. She was a breath of fresh air, and he supposed that was what made him want her from the very beginning.

By nature, he was a dominant and possessive man. When he wanted something; he got it, and when he got it; he refused to let it go. That was what had made him chase after Mai the day they first met; he had _wanted_ her from that very day. Mostly because she was a rare flower in his opinion. She had put him in his place and made him realize that outside the safety of his manor walls; he really was equal with everyone else regardless of his wealth. The kick in the shin only further proved the point that she was not like the people he'd surrounded yet isolated himself from his entire life; they would only praise and serve the master with no complaints to his face nor his parents while Mai never failed to reprimand him when he was not on his best behavior or when he was letting his arrogance get the best of him. Those qualities were what made him admire and eventually fall in love with Mai. And he had only realized it after the first three years of her service to him. And he still did if he were completely honest with himself. But, being the man of no emotion that he was, he could not confess. Besides that, he was worried that Mai would not feel the same way, or that she would say the same thing she always said when she was asked to do something that was not in the code of law that the servants followed; _'Society doesn't allow it.'_.

The one thing he wasn't worried about from rejection was the thought she was already in love with someone else. Being in such a high position Mai was never sent out on errands for the house. If she needed something Lin often went out to get it for her when he visited his family. And when Mai had time off; she spent it helping out the members of her surrogate family with their jobs. The job she liked best was helping John in the garden, but Naru knew he was no threat since he only saw her as a baby sister. If she wasn't helping she would either lock herself in her room to relax or come and bother him anyway until he gave up trying to work and ended up telling and re-telling ghost stories he'd memorized from the thousands of books that surrounded them. He secretly reveled in the way her eyes lit up as he told the tale; whether from fear or something else, he still could not decipher.

"Noll? Noll?" his mother called breaking his gaze from the dinner he'd only taken a few tiny bites from at best. "Are you listening to me young man?" Luella asked.

"No mother." He answered honestly. "My attention was on something else at the moment."

"Really? What was it?" the older woman piqued interestedly.

"Nothing of any real importance." Naru dodged the question quickly. If his mother ever found out about his feelings for Mai before he could confess; not only would she not hear it from him directly, but he would be subjected to never-ending torment from Mai's surrogate family. That in itself was a nuisance he would always prefer to avoid.

"Well at any rate," the older woman continued. "You're coming of age now and I think it's time you started looking for a wife. One that's suited to you and your tastes."

"Excuse me?" Naru could not believe his mother was saying that. Of course he already had the perfect bride and wife picked out but according to society, they could never be together. "Mother I really don't think I can be bothered to find a wife right now."

"I think it's something to be worried about young man." His mother countered. "I want to see my grandkids before I die and your father was around your age when he found me. Of course we waited 'til I was of legal age but still. He had found me and we now live together in happiness. That's all I want for you sweetheart, please try to understand…" she trailed off wistfully.

Naru sighed; she always brought up that story when the subject of courting came up. He learned to tune it out but caught the last part in time. "I understand that mother, but there are still things I'd rather have done before I begin that tedious task."

"I really don't understand you sometimes." He heard Mai mutter. He would deal with that comment later.

"As of this moment, I want to make sure you and father are well prepared for certain changes that are bound to happen. I want to make sure you can handle the new household without me there." Naru went on to explain as he stood from his chair. "I thank plain as he stood from his chair. "I thank you for the meal. Mai let's go." And with that; the young master strode from the hall with the pretty little maid in tow.

"Impressive reasoning Naru." Mai chimed as she poured tea from the pot she had grabbed on their way back to his wing. "If I was you I don't think I would have come up with something like that to keep her at bay."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing you are not me." Naru replied downing the entire porcelain teacup full of the scalding herbal remedy in one take. "Now, go close the windows before you leave to get ready for bed."

"Yessir!" Mai replied saluting him as she went about her work.

She had managed to get all the windows done without incident so far. All except for the last. When she went to draw the curtains something 'poof'ed and then her eyes started to water. She raised her hands to cover the burning sacs of water.

"Ah!" she cried as the stinging increased. "Something's in my eye!"

Typical idiot." Naru said under his breath as he got up from behind his desk and went over to her. "Come with me." He said grabbing the girl by the arm and leading her into his bedroom where he kept a spare medical kit in case of an emergency.

Setting Mai down on the edge of the canopy Naru went to one of the drawers and pulled out the box. He pulled a white handkerchief out and some saline solution as well. Striding over quickly with the newly wetted piece of cloth he kneeled before the girl.

"Hold still." He ordered prying her hands away to see Mai's normally cheerfully beautiful face streaked with pain-induced tears. "And whatever you do. You must not rub your eyes after I'm through." He informed her as he raised the cloth to her eyes.

With them closed he dabbed ever so gently at the lids before running it under the mini hollows her skull had produced in the construction of a normal human. Once he was done he took her head in his hands and blew softly into each ailing eye. When he stopped Mai opened her eyes and blushed at the proximity of their faces.

"Well I should really get to bed. Bye Naru!" she said quickly and loudly ad she pushed him away and bounded out of the room. Caught off guard by the sudden movement Naru had landed in a sitting position more or less with the rarest sight to see on his face. Even rarer than his smile; his dumbfounded face. As he composed himself he let his thoughts wander through different things while his body went through the ritual routine of getting ready for bed. At least her reaction had given hint to the fact that she liked him, more than an employee should for that matter. The thought comforted him greatly.

Mai, on the other hand, was slumped with her back against the now closed library doors. She held her hands to her face; her cheeks flushed and her heartbeat erratic. There had to have been some misunderstanding right? Naru wouldn't just do something like that out of anything other than necessity right? So why did it feel so _right_ when he was taking care of her? Mai was honestly reminded of the times she'd seen Lin or Monk take care of the problem when the woman they loved was hurt. They did it with such focused precision and tender care. Mai melted when she saw that sort of thing, but to think it had just happened to her of all people. And from her own master no less!

Forcing her legs to work Mai started the nightly walk to her room. Along the way she met up with Luella once again.

"ah Mai, just the girl I wanted to see. You see, I have something very important to tell you…"

Mai was honestly lost in her own world and unknowing tuned Luella out. All Mai did was nod occasionally to show understanding though she had not the faintest idea of what the woman beside her was blabbering on about. When they reached the door to Mai's room Luella bid her goodnight and was off.

Mai opened the door and let her body take over her nighttime routing just as Naru had done. The two of them were up into some hours of the night before either got any rest. They had one simultaneous and coherent thought before they at last drifted away into the land of dreams;

'_What just happened back there?'_

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sorry for launching into a monolouge about naru's feelings this chapter but it was needed to establish the plot. i'll be focusing more on mai's feelings nex\t chapter since we'll have the introduction of a new character

as always; review!


	3. Chapter 3

hey everyone! loving the positive feedback for this story. now, as for my other stories i'll give you the news:

let the games begin: currently working on chapter 11 please be patient...

thorns of the black rose: lost my first idea for chapter 11, but if i get enough calls in the reviews for this chapter i will post a oneshot in the story line but it will not be an actual chapter, repeat it will not be an actual chapter

now sorry for the long delay on this chapter: i work out in the sun five hours a day for five days a week, when i get home i ust want to relax and therefiore only use my weekends for writing, provided i don't get writer's block. i'm really sorry for the long delay but i guess i have no excuse since i read fiction on this site almost everyday if i can. alright now i'm rambling so without further ado the next chapter.

diclaimer: no, i still don't own ghost hunt, but you all probably already knew that now didn't you?

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The next morning came quickly, too quickly for the young master of the household and his young maid. But, Naru was the only one who had the luxury of sleeping in. However, that was interrupted by his underly perky maid knocking on his bedroom door.

"Naru? Are you alright?" he heard her say from behind the door. She sounded tired, and Naru had to wonder if she'd gotten any sleep at all last night.

Mai, on the other hand, was pleased she managed to sound semi-normal after roughly five hours' worth of sleep and the after effects Naru's "medical care" had had on her. However, she was let in and proceeded to take care of him the same as always. Just as they had settled in to begin Mai's reading lesson, Luella burst in.

"Noll, what on earth are you doing here now? You were supposed to be in the foyer ten minutes ago." She said.

"I was?" Naru blinked the sleep out of his eyes; it only made him looked as confused as he felt at the moment. "I wasn't aware of that fact mother."

At this Luella turned to Mai. "I thought I had asked you to tell Noll that he needed to be somewhere today."

Mai blinked in nonplus. "I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't get much sleep last night so it must have slipped my mind completely." She bowed her head in apology.

"It's alright Mai." Luella assured her. "But both of you need to be in the foyer _now_. We are expecting a guest to arrive at a moment's notice currently." Saying that, Luella was pushing both of them out the door at the same time. Unfortunately, Mai was first and Naru was being pushed behind her rather too close for comfort.

When they reached the grand foyer, they found Takigawa, Ayako, John, Lin, and Madoka waiting there as well as Oliver's father. All looked at the two new arrivals with interest.

"Well, well, well" Takigawa said raising an eyebrow and grinning deeply. "You two seemed to have slept in today. Wanna tell us why?" it was clear what his expression intended, and he wasn't disappointed by the reactions he got.

Oliver had turned to examine one of the large portraits on the wall with a slight frown of disgust. Mai, on the other hand was staring at her shoes with great interest and her face had the same complexion as a tomato.

Finally getting her composure back, Mai looked up with an embarrassed smile and started laughing. "That's very funny Monk." She said through her giggles. "But we all know that Naru has no interest in me like that whatsoever. Besides-"

"We know we know." Monk cut in.

"Society doesn't allow it." Everyone else chorused together.

It was after that everyone save for two fell into hysterics. Oliver was looking at them speculatively; as though he questioned the sanity of them –which he was in actuality- and Lin was less expressional, save for the low chuckles he released from behind his fist.

It was only a knock on the heavy wooden doors that roused everyone back into stability. Smoothing out wrinkles and fixing ruffled clothing that had resulted from the fall to the floor when laughing. As soon as all looked presentable Luella answered the door.

In walked a small doll like girl, with short black hair that hung slanting towards whoever she faced. She was dressed in a pale blue summer gown, with dark blue trimming at the sleeves and hem. Her wrist high gloves matched the pale blue, and she held a lace fan of the same coloring over her mouth. Amethyst eyes searched over everyone in the room before settling rather purposefully on the young master. Over the very top of the fan you could see a fringe of pink, indicating she was blushing.

Mai felt a sharp rush of heat settle in her hands –which at this point had balled into fists- as their guest raked her eyes over _Mai's_ man.

Wait a minute… not her man, her _master_ she chided herself, unsure of why the thought had come up in the first place.

"Everyone," Luella's voice brought Mai away from her disoriented thoughts. "I'd like to introduce our visitor. This is Ms. Masako Hara; she's going to be staying with us for a few weeks while her house undergoes repairs."

"I'm very happy to be here." Masako said quietly. "Please take care of me." She bowed her head quickly and returned her gaze to Naru. Mai felt that rush of heat again before she realized what it was.

_Jealousy_. Oh dear lord in heaven, she was jealous. But there was no reason to be jealous. Mai wasn't a jealous girl. Never had been. So why was she jealous now? The girl had a lot of what Mai wanted, but Mai was a commoner; of course she wanted what the wealthy had. What commoner wouldn't? And Mai knew she wasn't overly beauty but she had never thought anything of it. She figured that by the time she had repaid the Davis' for all they had done she'd be far too old to marry. What man would want her then?

That left only one explanation. Gulp, it was because Masako was looking at her master like she owned him already. And for Mai to be jealous, oh god, she _liked_ Naru. As in like liked him. Mai's face reddened at the realization. This would not end well, she could already tell. How could she live out the one rule set in this job if her heart had already gone against her and fallen for a man who had the emotional capacity of a peanut it seemed? No, she would make this work. She would make it work or else die trying to.

Being a maid meant serving your master no matter what happens to the server. Nothing else mattered as long as your master was happy. The master's happiness was key. So Mai swallowed to calm herself, and plastered her warmest smile on her face.

"Welcome Ms. Hara," she said sweetly. "We're honored that you're going to be staying with us. Would you like me to take your bags to your room?" she mentally kicked herself immediately after saying that.

It had just occurred to Mai that she didn't know where Masako's room was, though Luella had probably mentioned it during the conversation Mai hadn't bothered to pay attention to. Mai was regretting it now.

"Actually," Naru cut in. "I have urgent business in town that requires your assistance Mai. And then after we come back we have that other matter to attend to. John, escort Ms. Hara and her belongings to her room immediately."

"Yes sir." John replied taking the bags that had been set beside Masako's feet and saying to her. "This way please ma'am." Masako nodded with a tilt of her head and followed after the blonde gardener. Mai had been looking at Naru in shock, and had missed Masako's glare as a result.

"But Naru, you never go into town. Why start now?" Mai was proud she had been able to get it out without stuttering. If she accompanied him on an outing, wouldn't normal people call that a, a _date_?

"I will be doing business with the people who live in the town soon enough Mai." Naru replied quickly. "it's better if I find out who I want to do business now than suffer the consequences of choosing blindly later."

"B-But Lin-"

"Is going to be busy with other errands I have told him of previously. Aren't you Lin?" Naru said looking over at the butler/bodyguard.

Lin caught on to the look in the boy's eyes and nodded, barely hiding his smile as he bowed with and arm crossing to the opposite shoulder in response. "Yes I will. Please take good care of him Ms. Mai."

"Al-alright then. Let me put my traveling clothes on." Mai said as she turned to go to her room and change.

Lin and Naru were left alone as everyone else had cleared out when Masako had been escorted to her room.

Naru walked to the side of his butler, grabbing his shoulder when he did stop.

"Enjoy your day out with your wife." Naru whispered before walking away.

Lin watched as his master left and smiled; shaking his head slowly as he did so.

"They really are blind, aren't they?" he said to no one before walking off to tell Madoka the good news.

Ten minutes later, Mai and Naru were in a carriage on its way into town. Mai had now donned a simple white blouse and black skirt, her attire matching Naru although she hadn't planned on it. The ride into town was fairly easy, the roads being smooth despite being made of the earth beneath them.

Upon arriving, Mai had asked Naru where he wanted to go first. He had said that since he hadn't been into town for quite some time the choice was hers. She took him to the tea shop where she had learned all about the tea she made for her boss. The shopkeeper recognized Mai as soon as she had walked through the door.

"Mai!" he had cried in glee as he turned to embrace her.

"Kenji!" Mai replied as she returned the hug. Naru watched the exchange and couldn't help the sharp twinge of jealousy he had when he saw another man dare to touch _his_ Mai, even though he knew that she regarded the man as a teacher and therefore family.

They browsed through the shop before heading out the door with several new blends of tea in Mai's basket. Afterward they wandered through town aimlessly, not really having anywhere pressing they needed to be. Naru had never seen Mai so content before. Though she had gotten used to life at the manor she was still a girl of the town at heart so she had never let herself go completely before, probably because she was constantly in the presence of her superiors and had to watch her behavior , the threat of being fired lingering over her head every moment of the day.

It now seemed to Naru that Mai had a penchant for flowers. Particularly roses of the reddest shade he noted as he watched her wander through the florist's greenhouses. She fingered the petals like they were made of glass, as though putting too much pressure on them would destroy their beauty for all eternity. Occasionally she would bend down and inhale their perfume deeply, like the roses alone were the source of life-giving air she craved.

Naru looked at his pocket watch, it was getting late and they needed to be home so they could get some work done on Mai's reading before dinner. He had the sneaking suspicion that their _houseguest_ wouldn't leave him alone for very long.

"Mai," he cut into her little world gently. "We need to get going. You can smell the roses in the garden anytime you like."

Mai rose and shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't." she replied softly.

"Do we not have any roses in the garden?" was his response.\

Mai shook her head wordlessly.

"Then would you like to get some? I'm sure John wouldn't mind having to tend to a few extra flowers."

Mai looked at him with soft, doe-like eyes. "Could we?" she asked breathlessly.

His curt nod was her only reply.

"Oh yes Naru! Yes I'd love to get some roses for the garden!" she leaped into his arms, squeezing tightly as a sign of her thanks. If she hadn't remembered her position that would have been the least affectionate way she would have shown her gratitude. "I'm sorry." She said pulling away. "I forgot my place for a moment."

"I wouldn't' worry too much about it." Naru replied. "I believe it was you who once said that I am the same as any other man when out here in town."

Mai blushed; he had remembered what she'd said to him the day they first met. And for some reason it filled her stomach with butterflies and sent her heart racing.

They bought a small bush of roses and upon return to the manor; put them in John's care. The reading lesson went smoothly, if only. Masako had burst through the door unannounced to tell them dinner was ready. She had caught the master and his maid in what could be considered a rather scandalous position. You see Naru had given h Mai one of the less difficult books to try and help with her reading skills. A child's book from when he was young, it wasn't too hard but Mai had had trouble sounding out one of the words and had asked Naru for assistance. She had been sitting at one of the tables with the book in hand and Naru had leaned over to see the word she was pointing to. He had just finished pronouncing the word correctly when Masako had come in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything Oliver." She said sweetly. A bit too sickly sweet if you had asked Mai's opinion. "But your mother had requested your presence at the dinner table." She was clearly speaking to Naru only and ignoring Mai's existence all together.

"You weren't interrupting anything at all." Naru said neutrally. "We were just finishing up here. Weren't we Mai?" Mai nodded. "Thank you for the reminder Ms. Hara, we'll be heading down right now."

He walked out the door calmly. The two women watched him go. Suddenly Masako turned to Mai.

"Just what are you to him?" she asked sharply.

"I'm his personal maid ma'am. "Mai said quickly. Any hesitation would lead to unneeded suspicions. Wait, why was there anything to hesitate about? All Mai was to Naru was his personal maid, right?

"Really?" Masako raised a thin brow. "_That_ didn't look like serving your master like a good maid to me." She laced every word in the sentence with venom and disgust. "You looked like you were bothering him and wasting valuable time that he _should_ be using to attend to his guests. He _is_ going to be the master of this household one day, isn't he?"

"Yes ma'am." Mai replied. "However, master Davis is a very busy man. He runs all of the household finances right now. And I'm afraid it's an all day job."

"And what exactly is your purpose of staying near him all day?" Masako asked quizzically.

"To bring things he needs." Mai explained. "Be it files, books, or tea. My job is to make sure he doesn't take time used to get ahead in his work to retrieve trivial things."

"That is the nature of your relationship?" Masako said after a moment of deliberation.

"Yes ma'am." Mai nodded. "Ours is a strictly professional relationship, nothing more, nothing less."

"Good." Masako asserted. "It better stay that way or else I'm afraid you'll be looking for a new job, now won't you?"

"Ma'am?" Mai questioned, slightly intimidated.

"Just remember your place in this house you worthless little girl." Masako spat. "I am here to make your _master_ my _husband_. And I refuse to let the likes of you get in my way. Step out of line and I'll see to it that the next thing you see is the door on your way out. Now we best get going right? Don't want to worry anyone about our tardiness to dinner." The last sentence oozed sweetness as Masako left the library alone with Mai inside.

Once getting her bearings Mai moved through the halls to the dining room quickly.

"Three weeks." She murmured under her breath as she went to stand behind Naru's chair. "It's only for three weeks."

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good news: this is a short story so there will only be like two more chapters

bad news: this is a short sotry so there will only be like two more chapters

anyways, tell me how i'm doing. did i make the characters too ooc in this chapter? anything you guys say wrong? oh and by the way i don't hate masako, she'll get a happy ending in this story too.

like always review!


	4. Chapter 4

hey everyone a present from me to you about all the wonderfulr feedback I got on bubble wrap. also since I finished the chapter I like to publish almost immediately after soooo... there you have the answer to that.

disclaimer: nope, still don't own ghost hunt. why is the world so cruel?

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Three weeks turned into three months. And eventually, three months turned into three years. All through which Mai had to deal with all sorts of tricks put up by Masako, serve her master as a maid, finish her reading lessons, and put up with her one-sided feelings for her boss. Now as an eighteen year old woman she had saved up enough money to leave and find more suitable work for herself.

She had decided that after Masako's first day at the manor, not that she didn't love her job or her adopted family, but she decided that it wasn't worth Masako's daily torment. And had it not been for Masako, Mai never would have realized her feelings for Naru. He would have been her boss and she would have been his maid and that would have been where their relationship ended. But no, she had developed feelings for him and her heart just wouldn't leave her alone until she voiced them. She was too afraid of rejection since Naru wasn't a people person, Mai was sure he was going to become one of those old bachelors; only settling down and having kids so the family fortune wouldn't be lost when their time on this earth ended. But getting back to the point. Naru wouldn't need a personal maid like her for the rest of his life; he was nearly twenty-one years old for heaven's sake.

With that thought in mind, Mai set about writing a letter of resignation that day. But for some reason she just couldn't put the pen to paper. Though thanks to her lessons her vocabulary had expanded greatly, she couldn't find the right words to eloquently put her thoughts down in writing. That and the fact the Naru would never accept something written poorly, telling her that all he would see were excuses and not one valid point or explanation for whatever the topic was that he had given her to write about. Mai sighed; this was going to take a while.

Meanwhile, Naru was pacing around restlessly inside his room. It was Mai's eighteenth birthday today; he had been waiting years for this. Today was the day she became a legal adult, and it was also the day he planned to confess. The trouble was of how to do it. He wasn't known for expressing his emotions openly; so confessing at the surprise birthday party he had planned for her was most certainly not going to happen. He could confess by pulling her away for a few minutes, but he didn't want her to miss any of the fun he knew her family would make her party hold. There was really only one way to do it; when she helped him prepare for bed that night. It would be the only chance he had, especially since if he didn't have a woman in mind to be his wife, he would be forced to wed Masako. One might wonder what would ever make Luella force him to marry. Well she wasn't getting any younger and she wanted to see her grandchildren before she died, Martin was of the same mind.

Thankfully, Masako had mostly left him to his business (he had no knowledge of what Masako had done to Mai –since the young maid didn't like to cause trouble to anyone else- or else the young heiress would have been kicked out the first time it had occurred) and spent most of her days in the garden, admiring the many flora and fauna indigenous to the manor. But Naru was honestly sick of her constant attempts to make him notice her; getting frightened by the littlest thing, for example, and running into his arms like a scared child –he would never admit he wished Mai to do that on occasion, but being raised in the slums for at least five years little things like mice didn't scare her since the rats in the village were about as big as the cats that caught them, or it was now the other way round rather-, or fainting when the "stress" got to her; and of course she just _happened_ to be near Naru so his only choice was to catch her or else receive a scolding from his mother about manners to guests. That wouldn't be fun to say the least.

Regardless, Naru wanted the day to pass by quickly so he could just get his feelings off his chest. Somehow he had caught one of the rumors going around the manor while walking to his father's office the day previously.

"Did you hear what I heard about that nameless orphan?" he had heard one of the lesser maids say to the other. It was obvious they were talking about Mai. She was the only servant in the manor who had no parents or blood-related family rather, to speak of and she was also the most hated servant by nearly all the female staff. The reason why being that she got to be so close to the handsome young master all day long.

"No, what?" the second asked in slight interest. Normally the maids only took an interest in plotting revenge on her for getting the "best job in the system", but the first maid seemed excited for some reason.

"Well I overheard the brat talking with her 'family' earlier today and guess what," the first maid had sneered at the mention of Mai but her tone quickly uplifted.

"What?" asked the second.

"The brat is going to resign tomorrow night! Then _I'll_ have a chance to be the young master's _personal_ _maid_." The tone of her voice nearing the end of that statement indicated she'd try to give more than Mai did. It made Naru want to puke. The nerve of these women, and people wondered why he _hadn't_ married yet? Any other woman besides Mai was a perverse gold-digging slut!

Merely thinking back to hearing it made Naru need to suppress the bile that was threatening to rise out of his stomach. He needed to tell Mai, and he needed to tell her fast.

Otherwise, the day had gone very much normally for both master and maid. Mai served Naru, Naru found a way to insult her, Mai got frustrated and started off on her list of insults that had grown. Words were exchanged, and Naru eventually got the upper hand anyways, Mai's temper was even worse when he won and she stormed out of the room; leaving Naru to chuckle amusedly at her display.

Then came the nerve wracking part; the evening. Luella called Mai up to her rooms, requiring "assistance" with something. In reality, Naru had let his mother in on the plan and had asked her to choose a dress for Mai to wear, knowing that all Mai's clothes were supplied by the manor and they hadn't had a ball or the like in years –Naru had always preferred simple affairs for his birthday and the Davis's let all the servants go home for the holidays- so Naru knew that Mai had no dress suited for the occasion and left the details to his mother. He was going to regret that later.

"Ma'am," Mai inquired when alone with the mistress of the manor in her chambers. "I'm sorry but I don't see anything that requires my assistance here."

"Oh but I do have something that requires you my dear." Luella replied with a smile. She then went to her closet and brought out a white box topped with a black silk ribbon bow. "Happy birthday Mai dear."

"Oh. Thank you madam." Mai answered as she pulled on the tie. It fell loose and Mai uncovered the box. She gasped. And Luella giggled like a woman less than half her age.

The large ballroom was decorated splendidly and the food was laid out liked the banquet this party was supposed to be. Mai's adopted family was already dressed and waiting for the party to start. Surprisingly Masako was there, no doubt waiting for Naru, but she wasn't making a fuss yet.

Naru himself; had taken the liberty of volunteering to escort Mai into her party. He was now outside his mother's rooms knocking on the door.

"Come in." he heard his mother call. He gave them another minute before actually entering.

When he did, Mai looked up at him from where Luella had been fussing with the hem. Both froze, unable to take their eyes off the other.

'_Wow'_ Mai thought. _'He looks really good in white.'_ Indeed, Luella had given him a rather interesting suit to wear for the night. Standard white shirt, black tie, black dress pants and black shoes, but for some odd reason the coat for the ensemble was white as the freshly fallen snow. At first Naru hadn't understood why, but looking at Mai, the meaning was all too clear.

Naru couldn't even think of words appropriate enough to describe her right now. Angel? She was one regardless of what she wore. Goddess? No they paled in comparison to her right now. Deity of all-encompassing beauty the world could ever offer? It came as close as he could get at the moment. And now Naru realized something, his mother was obviously a fan of the notion of Mai being married into the family, because the way she was dressed was all too similar to a bride.

She wore a pure-white strapless gown. Its length ran to the floor and covered her shoes, though Naru knew they were most likely white as well. And in her hair was a simple white headband, pulling most of her long hair back save for her bangs, which had been brushed out straight, and two side tendrils, framing her face and running down the flat-line collar of her evening wear. And when Luella had Mai turn around Naru noticed that there was a cream-colored veil that ran the length of her hair attached at either end of the band; the middle part left to slouch down rather elegantly.

"Well," Naru said once regaining the power of speech. "Shall we?"

Mai nodded dumbly, to star-struck to speak, also not trusting her voice to say anything of competence. And so she laced her arm through Naru's and he led the way to where Mai's surprise laid in wait.

Once they got to the doors, Naru stopped and took one more look at the woman who had been his maid for so long. Hopefully that would all change tonight.

"Mai," he began, his breath catching when she looked at him with those soft hazelnut eyes of hers. "You look lovely." Was all he could say.

"Oh, well thank you." Mai replied softly, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Oh, and one more thing. Happy birthday." Naru added as he swung the doors open to reveal the awaiting party inside.

"Happy birthday Mai!" everyone inside chorused.

Mai was flabbergasted. "Everyone, you did this for me?"

"Well…" Monk began. "Thank Naru actually. It was all his idea, not to mention that he organized all this. We just followed his directions."

Mai felt tears welling up, how could she leave a place where everyone in it cared about her so deeply? "Thank you all so much!" she exclaimed, tears escaping her eyes in joy.

And so the festivities commenced. Mai spent more than a good few hours whirling round the dance floor with Monk, Lin, and John. Then there was the cutting of the cake and opening all her wonderful gifts. Even Masako had gotten her something. Though the two were rivals over Mai's master, they did have a sort of friendship whenever Naru wasn't in the room.

"Mai," Naru had said near the end of celebrations "may I have the last dance?"

"um, sure." Mai replied, her blush once more rising.

They whirled slowly to a song whose lyrics spoke volumes of the feelings the pair felt for one another without the other's knowledge.

_So this is love, mmmm_

_So this, is love, mmmm_

_So this is what makes life blind_

_I'm all a flow, mmmm_

_And know I know (and now I know)_

_The key to our heaven is mine_

_My heart has wings, mmmm_

_And I can fly_

_I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky_

_So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of_

_Mmmm (mmm)_

_So this is love…_

When the song reached its close, Naru escorted Mai out to the balcony. Both unaware that all other actions had stopped and a crowd had gathered round the outside in the doorway inside the manor.

"Mai," Naru began, unsure if this was the right direction to start the conversation off in. "I heard a rumor the other day."

"Did you now?" Mai asked a little shakily, turning her gaze from the stars above to the man beside her.

"Yes," Naru replied, meeting her gaze. "It was about you leaving the manor. Mai is it true?"

Mai sighed. "I had been thinking about it. But after seeing all this," Mai gestured to her gown and the scene behind them. "I don't think I could ever bring myself to leave. I love it here, and I love the people here."

"You do?" Naru asked.

"Yes, I love everyone here. Monk, Ayako, Lin, Madoka, John, everyone." Mai replied.

"Mai, I have one more birthday present I'd like to give to you. Do you think you'll be able to accept it?" enough was enough. Naru was going to tell Mai how he felt, even if it killed him.

"Of course I will." Mai said without a second thought.

"Well then." Naru took the small velvet box out of his pocket and placed it in Mai's hand.

"Naru, what's this?" Mai asked, confusion reflecting in the warm pools of her eyes.

"Mai, you know I'm not the most sociable person on earth," Naru launched into a speech. "In fact I prefer my own company to that of others nine times out of ten. But ever since I had met you; that changed. _I_ changed. I would have told you how I felt years ago, but I was unsure. I was unsure if what I felt for you was real yet I didn't want to let anyone else have you. What I'm trying to say is," Naru took Mai's hands in his own as her face tilted up to keep his gaze. "Mai, I love you. I think I have since the day you kicked me in the shin and left me writhing in pain on the ground. I could honestly care less what society thinks of this and so I ask you this. Will you marry me?"

"Naru… I…" Mai was at a loss for words. She was happy that her boss felt the same way she did about him, but at the same time she was bowled over by how long he had loved her. And then there was society, regardless of what Naru said it was against all rules of the world. A master could never marry his maid. She was of lower class and it would ruin his family's reputation, it didn't matter if a man loved the woman he was married to; as long as she was of the same class as him it was okay. "I know you don't care what society says, and I want you to know that I love you too. It's just, I can't live with the fact that I'm not good enough for you. No matter what you say when people in town get wind of this they'll say you've made a big mistake. I'm not good enough for you class-wise, so I just can't marry you." Mai started sobbing then, as it broke her heart to know that the man she loved loved her back, but that it just couldn't be.

"Mai dear, don't cry." A gentle voice broke through. Naru and Mai looked up to see Luella standing in the doorway(she had shooed all the others off when Naru began his speech, knowing anyone else who heard it would never let him live it down). "I had meant to tell you this earlier today but I wanted you to enjoy your birthday and actually remember it. The truth is that you _are_ of the same class as Oliver here, well as of today you are."

"What?" Naru and Mai said simultaneously.

"Mother, how long have you been standing there?" Naru asked trying to fight embarrassment off.

"Long enough." Luella replied. "But that isn't what's important right now. You see, the day we brought Mai home you two fell asleep and I noticed something strange about the family picture Mai had. The frame had weird carvings that, upon closer inspection, were actually a message to open the fame up. I did so and found two letters. One addressed to Mai herself, the other addressed to… your father and me. I left the other letter in the frame, but took the one addressed to us and opened it. Turns out that Mai was actually the only daughter of the Taniyama family. They were as wealthy as us; and we had intentions to marry our two children when the time was right, but there was a terrible fire that consumed the whole mansion and everyone in it, save for you Mai. The letter told us that if we found you your parents wanted us to raise you right and make them proud. It also was their will, saying that on your eighteenth birthday you would inherit the Taniyama fortune as a legal adult and it was yours to do with as you wished. Your money is waiting for you at the bank in town."

"Wait, if Mai has been part of the elite for so long why didn't you say something earlier?" Naru asked.

"Well, being part of the elite has no meaning unless you have access to your money." Luella answered smoothly. "Plus it looked like Mai had suffered some trauma which caused memory loss, so I was afraid Mai wouldn't be able to handle the truth about who she was until she was older." Luella turned to Mai. "Well, how does it feel knowing that you can marry the man you love with no strings attached Mai?"

"It feels freeing." Mai replied more calmly than Naru had expected of her. She turned to the man beside her. "I also believe you have a ring that belongs to me." She said holding out her hand, waiting for Naru to slip on his ring.

Naru suppressed a chuckle and complied with the unspoken demand. Hand in hand the pair walked inside to find everyone grinning at them.

"What?" Mai asked, her blush from all the events still lingering on her face.

"Oh nothing…" Came a voice as Masako made her way through the crowd. "I was just thinking that it was about time he did something."

"Wait a minute," Mai said staring at Masako's happy expression. "You're not mad that _I'm_ the one Naru's going to marry?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Masako asked laughing softly. "You two belong together. And besides, I'm already happily engaged." She indicated the ring on her own finger.

"You're _engaged_? To who?" both Mai and Naru were eager to know.

"I was engaged to John long before I came here." Masako explained. "Your mother just wanted to two to confess to I stayed around to help speed things up a bit. That's all."

"Really?" Mai was definitely surprised, though she had to admit that Masako and John were cute together.

"Really." John answered as he came up behind his raven-haired fiancé and wrapped and arm around her waist. Masako flushed a bright shade of pink in response.

Mai shook her head and offered the two a congratulatory smile as Naru pulled her away.

"Naru," Mai asked as he led her out of the hall. "Where are we going?"

"To move your things into my room." Naru replied quickly. "It was troublesome enough that you always took too long when you were my maid. But now that we're engaged it's altogether too much trouble to live at opposite ends of the same house."

"But… But…" Mai protested, blushing profusely. "That will give people _ideas_."

"And?" Naru asked still pulling her along. "It's not like they're going to stay like that for very long."

"You… You narcissistic, arrogant, chauvinistic, tea-addicted jerk!" Mai cried out.

It was human nature that they'd always argue. That was the dynamic of their relationship and the reason they fell in love. He was a man who views himself as larger than the world. She was a woman who held her ideals close to reality and spoke her mind when the need arose. He was a master and she was a maid. But then again, the fine lines of society always become blurred and love blooms.

* * *

So there you have it. that's pretty much how the story ends though i will be writing an epilougue which describes the wedding and the years of marriage that follow it. I kinda felt like I made Naru too much of a sap this chapter but hey, this story is romance after all and I did my best to keep him as much in character as I could while still having him deliver that heart-felt confession. Plus I like to think that being in love with someone will turn you into a sap regardless of what gender you are. For those of you who are wondering, Mai's dress looks like a pure white version of Mia's ball gown from the first Princess Diaries movie.

Now for the things that make a writer's day; Review please!


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